Ghana has legalized the use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes as it joins other African countries hoping to derive economic and health benefits from the substance.
Parliament passed the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2019 on Friday evening.
The law also makes the country’s Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) a Commission with enhanced powers to oversee the industrial use of some narcotic substances.
The Commission, however, will have the mandate to control and eliminate the trafficking of prohibited narcotic drugs to ensure public safety.
Health experts have always campaigned for addicts of narcotic drugs to be properly rehabilitated and not treated as criminals.
The new law makes provision for that as well now classifying drug abuse a public health issue.
Ghana’s new laws will make room for cannabis to be used to make medicines and hemp fibres.
Hemp fibres are used to make clothes, biofuel, paper and other products.
